Everything you want to know about successful pig rearing

Pig farming has several advantages including quick herb multiplication and rapid investment turnover with minimal expenditure on building and equipment. 

In Zimbabwe, there is a well paying pork processing and hotel industry that produces bacon, ham, sausages and lard. 

Pork has a relatively higher energy value and is rich in vitamin B1, B2 and Niacin. Pig fat has also found industrial use in chicken feed, soap and paints manufacture. Pig manure can be used as fertiliser in agriculture and fish ponds.

When properly reared and bred, a sow (female pig) can give birth to up to 12 piglets and they can do this for up to two times a year. Pigs grow fast and can be served at eight months old. In other words; with just one sow you can quickly establish a farm within one year.

Selection of your breeding stock is of utmost importance as this will determine the survival rate of your litter.

Selection of the breeding Gilt

Gilts are female pigs that have not been bred; after giving birth they are called sows. When selecting gilts for breeding check for reproductive traits because your business will be hinged on getting larger litters (collective term for a batch piglets produced by a single sow). The best time to select gilts is at weaning based on their growth rate, alertness, strong legs in addition to good body conformity.

Gilts should have a six or seven pairs of evenly distributed teats; this will ensure a larger size of the litter. Gilts with supernumerary teats (extra teats normally not well developed) should be rejected as this is not a good genetic trait for a breeding sow. Historical background of the gilt should be checked as an indicator of the genetic potential of the gilt.

The gilts mother should have been a good mother – it should at least on average have produced nine piglets per litter with the first farrowing (giving birth in pigs) happening at 12 months and thereafter a farrowing interval of seven months.

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